Weekly Roundup - Living On Nothing Edition [Survival Today

Did you hear about the guy that lives on nothing? No seriously, he lives on zero dollars a day. Meet Daniel Suelo, who lives in a cave outside Moab, Utah. Suelo has no mortgage, no car payment, no debt of any kind. He also has no home, no car, no television, and absolutely no “creature comforts.” But he does have a lot of creatures, as in the mice and bugs that scurry about the cave floor he’s called home for the last three years.

To us, Suelo probably sounds a little extreme. Actually, he probably sounds very extreme. After all, I suspect most of you reading this are doing so under the protection of some sort of man-made shelter, and with some amount of money on your person, and probably a few needs for money, too. And who doesn’t need money unless they have completely unplugged from the grid? Still, it’s an amusing story about a guy who rejects all forms of consumerism as we know it.

How to Brew Your Own Beer and Maybe Save Some Money. A fantastic introduction to home brewing, something I’ve never done myself, but always been interested in trying. (@Generation X Finance)

Contentment: A Great Financial Principle. If I had to name one required emotion for living a frugal lifestyle it would be contentment. Once you are content with your belongings and your lot in life you can ignore forces attempting to separate you from your money. (@Personal Finance by the Book)

Use Energy Star Appliances to Save On Utility Costs. I enjoyed this post because it included actual numbers, and actual total savings, from someone who upgraded to new, energy star appliances. (@The Digerati Life)

Over-Saving for Retirement? Is it possible to “over-save” for retirement? Yes, I think so. At some point I like the idea of putting some money aside in taxable investments outside of retirement funds, to be accessed prior to traditional retirement age. (@The Simple Dollar)

40 Things to Teach My Kids Before They Leave Home. A great list of both practical and philosophical lessons to teach your kids before they reach the age where they know everything. I think that now happens around 13 years-old. (@My Supercharged Life)

Index Fund Investing Overview. If you are looking for a place to invest with high diversification and relatively low fees (for broader index funds with low turnover), index funds are a great place to start. (@Money Smart Life)

5 Reasons To Line Dry Your Laundry. My wife and I may soon be installing a clothesline in our backyard. In many neighborhoods they are frowned upon - one of the reasons I don’t like living in a neighborhood. I digress. One of our neighbors recently put up a clothesline, and we might just follow his lead. (@Simple Mom)

* 4 Quick Tips for Getting Out of a Rut * Young and Cash Rich * Embracing Simple Style * First Trading Experience With OptionsHouse * The Exponential Power of Delayed Consumption * How Much Emergency Fund is Enough? * 50 Questions that Will Free Your Mind * Save Money On Car Insurance

[EXCELLENT BLOG, MANY FOODS, ALL FORAGED,MEAT AND FISH ALSO....GRANNY]

http://fat-of-the-land.blogspot.com/2010/03/green-gold-miners-lettuce.html

Monday, March 15, 2010
Green Gold: Miner’s Lettuce

The Forty-Niners put San Francisco on the map and explored north into much of California and the Oregon Territory. Most of them didn’t strike it rich. Instead they left their mark in the form of claims, place names, settlements—and in some cases environmental degradation that is still with us today.

Life was hard for a gold miner. You had to have your wits about you to survive. One of the many dangers was scurvy, caused by a deficiency of vitamin c. But the smart miner knew there was more than gold in them thar hills. There was green, too—a humble green (recently re-classified in the Claytonia genus) that grew in thick mats, was available much of the year, and packed the necessary nutrients a prospector needed to live in the bush.

Hello miner’s lettuce. Also called spring beauty, winter purslane, or Indian lettuce, Claytonia perfoliata, native to the western U.S., with particular abundance in the Pacific Northwest, is the best known species of miner’s lettuce. As one of the first spring greens to emerge, it’s a valuable edible just when it’s needed most.

Pictures typically show Claytonia perfoliata with a round leaf from which a flower stalk emerges in the center. Early in the season, however, the leaves are more apt to be spade-shaped. They’re tender and succulent, reminiscent of spinach yet with a wild flavor that isn’t overpowering.

While I usually find my supply of miner’s lettuce when I’m hiking in the Cascades or Olympics, there are also patches right inside the Seattle city limits. I picked this bunch today in a park near Lake Washington and used it in place of spinach in a classic early spring salad with beets, goat cheese, roasted walnuts, and a simple vinaigrette.

Miner’s lettuce also has the distinction of being one of the few green foods, along with Stinging Nettle Soup, that my finicky, vegetable-averse boy will eat. If you haven’t eaten miner’s lettuce before, try a few leaves added to your usual salad. Soon you’ll be chucking the domestic greens altogether in favor of this wild treat.

This post was entered into the “Grow Your Own” roundup, created by Andrea’s Recipes and hosted this month by House of Annie.

The salad days are here in the Pacific Northwest. Besides the usual weeds (dandies, cat’s-ear, bittercress, chickweed, etc.) I’ve been munching on miner’s lettuce the last couple weeks. You can even find this native green within Seattle city limits if you know where to look.

I posted a write-up on my blog:

http://fat-of-the-land.blogspot.com/2010/03/green-gold-miners-lettuce.html

Happy spring everyone!

Lang

~~~~~~~~~~
Langdon Cook
Book: http://www.amazon.com/Fat-Land-Adventures-Century-Forager/dp/1594850070/
Blog: http://fat-of-the-land.blogspot.com/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/langdoncook

From: Laura

Almost Better Than Harrison Ford Cake

1 pkg. German chocolate cake mix
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 jar caramel topping
1 carton Cool Whip
Heath Bar crumbles

Make and bake cake according to pkg. directions and pour into a greasesd and
floured 9 x 13” pan. Remove form oven and poke holes in cake with the handle
of a wooden spoon. Pour condensed milk over all the holes. Pour caramel
stopping over all. Frost with Cool Whip and sprinkle with crumbles. Refrigerate.

________________________________________________________________________
2. Curried Lentil Soup
Posted by: “violet4622002”

Curried Lentil Soup

Yields: 2 jars soup mix

2 ( 1 quart) jars with tight-fitting lids
1 pound(s) red lentils
Salt
6 tablespoon(s) minced dried onion
2 tablespoon(s) curry powder
1 teaspoon(s) garlic powder
1 pound(s) green lentils
1/2 package(s) (5-ounce) dried apple rings, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 tablespoon(s) dried parsley leaves

1.In bottom of each glass jar, place 8 ounces red lentils; top with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, 3 tablespoons dried onion, 1 tablespoon curry powder, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 8 ounces green lentils, 1/2 cup apple pieces, and 1 tablespoon parsley, in that order. Seal jars and store at room temperature up to 1 month.
2.Prepare labels with cooking instructions; attach to jars. Add these cooking directions to each label before giving as a gift: Place lentil soup mix in 3-quart saucepan with 7 cups water. Heat to boiling on high. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 20 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Makes 8 cups soup.

________________________________________________________________________
3. Healthy Peanut Bars
Posted by: “bakinglist_owner”
Healthy Peanut Bars

2 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup of natural applesauce
3/4 cup of smooth natural peanut butter
1 box Duncan Hines yellow cake mix (parve)
1/2 cup mini-chocolate chips (optional)
Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan.
2. Mix eggs, apple sauce and peanut butter.
3. Slowly add cake mix. Mix in a small amount, and repeat until the entire box is mixed in (usually in six different mixes, especially if mixing by hand).
4. Batter will be thick. If a thinner batter is desired, add a bit more applesauce. If a stronger peanut taste is desired, add up to another 1/4 cup peanut butter.
5. Pour batter into pan. Batter can be spread within 1/3 inch from edges and it will spread out during cooking.
6. Bake at 350°F (180°C) for 25-30 minutes. Cool on wire cookie rack.

VARIATIONS: Mix chocolate chips into batter before baking.

SERVING SUGGESTION: Enjoy cold or warm with a big glass of milk.

________________________________________________________________________
4. Homemade Bread Machine Mix
Posted by: “buckeye2540”

This excellent mix recipe will save you time and money.
Prep Time: 10 minutes

3 cups flour
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. nonfat dry milk powder
1-1/2 tsp. salt
2-1/2 tsp. active dry yeast
1-1/4 cups warm water
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil

In large bowl, mix flour, sugar, dry milk and salt until combined. Place inside a one quart jar with screw top lid. Put yeast in a very small ziplock plastic bag and place over flour mixture in jar before adding lid. Label and store in a cool place.
When ready to bake bread, place warm water and vegetable oil into the bottom of the bread pan of your bread maker. Place dry ingredients from jar on top of wet ingredients, reserving yeast for last or follow directions of your bread maker manufacturer. Select White - Light Crust Color. Remove bread from pan after baking cycle and cool on wire rack for 1 hour before slicing.

________________________________________________________________________
5. Colony Mountain Chili
Posted by: “iluvrecipes40”

1 pound boneless beef sirloin steak, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
4 Italian sausage links, casings removed and cut into 3/4-inch slices
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 green onions, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons beef bouillon granules
1 cup boiling water
1 can (6 ounce size) tomato paste
3 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3 cans (14-1/2 ounce size) stewed tomatoes, cut up
2 cans (15 ounce size) pinto beans, rinsed and drained
shredded Cheddar cheese

In a large skillet, brown the beef and sausage in 1 tablespoon oil; drain. Transfer meat to a 5-qt. slow cooker.

In the same skillet, saute the onion, garlic and green onions in remaining oil until tender. Transfer to slow cooker.

In a small bowl, dissolve bouillon in water. Stir in the tomato paste, chili powder, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce and seasonings until blended; add to slow cooker. Stir in tomatoes and beans.

Cover and cook on high for 6-8 hours or until the meat is tender. Serve with cheese if desired.
Source: CD Kitchen

My other groups: favoritefamilyrecipes@yahoogroups.com and moderator of BisquickRecipes@yahoogroups.com, and BakingMixes

——————————————————————————————————— To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/cookingandbakingmixes/

http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2010/03/calico-bean-soup-slow-cooker-recipe.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+AYearOfCrockPotting+%28A+Year+of+Slow+Cooking%29&utm_content=Yahoo!+Mail

Calico Bean Soup Slow Cooker Recipe

I made a free-to-me soup last night, and promptly fell asleep while it was cooking. When Adam tried to wake me at 11:15 to remind me that the soup was still on, I muttered, “it’s beans. they could cook forever, it’s fine.”

and I was right! This soup cooked on low for 19 hours. It’s delicious, and can certainly be completely vegetarian if you don’t use liquified chicken the way I did for broth.

The Ingredients.
serves 10, easily

1 pound assorted dried beans (I used small red, lima, northern, black-eyed peas, split peas, pinto)
2 cans (25-30 ounces approx) diced tomatoes (whatever you have on hand-—flavored, Rotel, etc.)
3 tablespoons dried minced onion flakes
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon celery seed (or chop up a bunch of celery if you already have it in the house)
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
4 cups broth
4 cups water

The Directions.

Use a 6 quart or larger slow cooker. Soak your beans overnight in enough water to cover completely with another 4 inches or so. Drain well and add to pot. If you don’t have time to soak the beans for hours and hours, put them in a large stock pot with a bunch of water and bring to a boil. Boil rapidly for 10 minutes, then turn off the heat and cover the pot. Let your beans sit for an hour, then drain and use.

After the beans are in the slow cooker, add all of the spices and canned tomatoes. Pour in broth and water. Cover and cook on low for 10-20 hours, or until the beans have begun to split and thicken the broth. You can also remove about a cup of beans and blend, then stir back in to thicken the broth nicely (or do a few pulses with a hand mixer!)

The Verdict.

I’m the only one who has had this so far. The kids are getting pictures taken for softball, and I need to get out of here and join them on the field. I had 2 mugfulls for breakfast, and am leaving the pot on “warm” so we can all enjoy it for lunch (and probably dinner, too). The flavor is mild, and beany. I didn’t add any salt to my servings, but some may wish for a bit more of a salty flavor. I plan on giving the kids a small bowl of shredded cheese to stir into their servings.

Have a wonderful weekend!

p.s. I have been posting on Totally Together this year
and you should check out Kid vs. Produce for an entertaining year-long adventure!

=== Google News Alert for: Urban Chicken farmers ===

Washington DC Residents Lobby to Raise Chickens on Capitol Hill
Ethiopian Review
Washington, DC, home to presidents, senators, ambassadors, and — if some
residents have their way — urban chicken farmers. These poultry pioneers
are part ...
http://www.ethiopianreview.com/news/17228

An unusual crop
Times of India
City folk who have traded their urban lives for that of a farmer’s find ...
That caved in, and he tried poultry farming. The ‘93 Bombay riots sank that
too. ...
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/An-unusual-crop/articleshow/5704817.cms

=== Google Blogs Alert for: Urban Chicken farmers ===

After the Harvest: Backyard Farmers and Urban Beekeepers
By Heather
Backyard Farmers and Urban Beekeepers. Photo via bleuquila on Flickr These
days I can’t read my morning paper without seeing another article or letter
about the movement towards raising backyard chickens here in Ottawa. ...
http://aftertheharvest.blogspot.com/2010/03/backyard-farmers-and-urban-beekeepers.html
After the Harvest
http://aftertheharvest.blogspot.com/

FRESH Comes to Big Screen in NYC! | NET IMPACT NYC
By Net Impact NYC
Have you heard about the urban chicken craze sweeping the city? Spend this
Saturday morning learning how to manage a flock of your own at Taqwa
Community Farm, near Yankee stadium. Two of NYC’s intrepid urban chicken
keepers will show ...
http://netimpactnyc.org/fresh-comes-to-big-screen-in-nyc/
NET IMPACT NYC
http://netimpactnyc.org/

=== Google Web Alert for: Urban Chicken farmers ===

Chicken Coop :My Urban Chicken
My Urban Chicken. Chicken Coop Ideas ... how to fully utilize the manure
produced, the needs of large commercial poultry farms for egg production
business? ...
http://www.myurbanchicken.net/tag/chicken-coop/

This once a day Google Alert is brought to you by Google...

http://www.naturalnews.com/028403_superfoods_garden.html

Grow Your Own Superfoods in Your Home Garden This Year
Friday, March 19, 2010 by: Aaron Turpen, citizen journalist
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(NaturalNews) When most people think of the term “superfood,” they think of exotic fruits or imported vegetables from places with foreign names and distant locales. In reality, many of the foods you likely eat and even grow in your own garden are superfoods.

The common definition of a superfood is any food (fruit, vegetable, etc.) that you can consume that has a high concentration of nutrients and anti-oxidants. Many of these are probably foods that your mother told you that you had to eat if you wanted to leave the dinner table or to grow up to be big and strong.

Here is a list of superfoods that will grow in just about any location in the northern hemisphere with a growing season of 3 months or more. If you start from seeds, you will likely need to start them indoors before the spring thaw to maximize your growing time outdoors.

Broccoli - is probably the best-known and most often cited superfood that is commonly grown in home garden plots. Broccoli has several benefits including being a great source of antioxidants.1

Carrots - are likely the other most well-known of superfoods that are commonly grown and eaten in the U.S. Carrots are thick with phytonutrients, antioxidants, and nearly every vitamin you can name.2

Garlic - a favorite spice for cooking, this stuff is loaded with nearly everything good for you that you can imagine. It’s a known cardiovascular booster, an anti-microbial, and more.3

Green Beans - have to be one of the easiest things to grow and are grown both in garden plots and potted indoors to vine up walls or along racks. Beans are good for kidney stones, arthritis, and are packed with minerals.4

Spinach - isn’t just for Popeye, Olive. It’s a very easy plant to grow, gives edible leaves throughout the season, and has some of the highest concentrations of vitamins A and C and folic acid you can get.5

Squash - of nearly any type is great for you. Acorn, Butternut, Pumpkins, and many others are packed with fiber, vitamin C, manganese, vitamin B6, potassium, and much more.6

Tomatoes - are everyone’s favorite garden vegetable (fruit, actually) to grow and the subject of intense scrutiny and competition. Tomatoes are also full of antioxidants, vitamin C, and light acids that aid digestion.7

These are just a few of the many superfoods you can grow in your own garden this year to promote better health. Gardening can not only be a fun, healthy way to spend your spare time this summer, but it can also lower your food bills, raise your health and nutritional levels, and bring your family closer together!

Start gardening and grow your own superfoods this spring!

Resources:
1 - Broccoli on NaturalNews

2 - Carrots on NaturalNews

3 - Discover the Powerful Benefits of Garlic by Henri Junttila, NaturalNews

4 - Green Beans on HealingFoodReference

5 - Spinach on NaturalNews

6 - Experts tout the health benefits of winter squas by Mike Adams, NaturalNews

7 - Tomatoes on NaturalNews

Share22

About the author
Aaron Turpen is a professional writer living in Wyoming in the USA. He is also the Director of Gateway’s Needy Animals, a local animal shelter and rescue in the eastern Wyoming area. His blog covers organic/sustainable living and environmental considerations at AaronsEnvironMental.com.

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Ina Garten’s Lemon Cake
Posted by: “Ginny

Ina Garten’s Lemon Cake Recipe created by Ina Garten
Oprah.com | Published on January 01, 2006

A photograph of this cake in The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook prompted dozens of people to request the recipe. Here it is! This is such a versatile cake. Ina likes to serve it with lemon curd and fresh raspberries, but a slice with a cup of tea in the afternoon is also just fine.

Servings: Makes two 8-inch loaves

Ingredients:

Ina Garten’s Lemon Cake
a.. 1/2 pound unsalted butter
b.. 2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
c.. 4 extra-large eggs (at room temperature)
d.. 1/3 cup grated lemon zest (6 to 8 large lemons)
e.. 3 cups all-purpose flour
f.. 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
g.. 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
h.. 1 teaspoon kosher salt
i.. 3/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
j.. 3/4 cup buttermilk at room temperature
k.. 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
l.. 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
m.. 3 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease two 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 x 2 1/2 -inch loaf pans. Cream the butter and 2 cups granulated sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment for about 5 minutes or until light and fluffy. With the mixer on medium speed, add the eggs, one at a time, and the lemon zest.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl. In another bowl, combine 1/4 cup lemon juice, the buttermilk and vanilla. Add the flour and buttermilk mixtures alternately to the batter, beginning and ending with the flour. Divide the batter evenly between the pans, smooth the tops, and bake for 45 minutes to an hour, until a cake tester comes out clean.

Combine 1/2 cup granulated sugar with 1/2 cup lemon juice in a small saucepan and cook over low heat until the sugar dissolves and makes a syrup. When the cakes are done, let them cool for 10 minutes, then invert them onto a rack set over a tray, and spoon the lemon syrup over the cakes. Allow the cakes to cool completely.

For the glaze, combine the confectioners’ sugar and lemon juice in a bowl, mixing with a wire whisk until smooth. Pour over the top of the cakes and allow the glaze to drizzle down the sides.

From the book Barefoot Contessa Parties!

________________________________________________________________________
4. Baked Buttermilk Mustard Chicken Thighs
Posted by: “Ginny

Baked Buttermilk Mustard Chicken Thighs
Recipe #32422 | 44 min | 20 min prep

By: Julesong
Jun 27, 2002

These are really tasty, and easy to make, too. Prep time is the chilling in the fridge.

SERVES 4

Ingredients
a.. 1/4 cup dry breadcrumbs
b.. 2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
c.. 1 teaspoon dried minced onion flakes (optional)
d.. 1/2 cup buttermilk
e.. 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
f.. 2 teaspoons honey
g.. 1/2 teaspoon salt
h.. 1/4 teaspoon pepper
i.. 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
j.. 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
k.. 1/4 teaspoon dried ground sage
l.. 4 chicken thighs, skinless and boneless
Directions
1.. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2.. Combine bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, and dried minced onion; set aside.
3.. Combine the buttermilk, Dijon, honey, salt, pepper, garlic powder, rosemary, and sage.
4.. Divide mixture into two portions and set one portion aside.
5.. Coat the thighs in one portion of the buttermilk mixture, then dredge in the bread crumbs; discard any used buttermilk or breadcrumbs that are left over.
6.. Place thighs on a plate so that they are not overlapping and let chill in refrigerator for 20 minutes.
7.. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray and place in oven for 5 minutes to preheat the sheet; place thighs on the sheet and bake for 24 minutes, turning the pieces over after 12 minutes.
8.. To serve, microwave the reserved, unused buttermilk mixture on high for about 20-30 seconds or until warmed through, and drizzle as a sauce over the chicken.

________________________________________________________________________
5. Buttermilk Devil’s Food Cake With Freshly Squeezed Orange Cream Cheese Frosting
Posted by: “Ginny

Buttermilk Devil’s Food Cake With Freshly Squeezed Orange Cream Cheese Frosting
Recipe #38336 | 50 min | 15 min prep

By: HOUSEMANAGER (Charlene)
Aug 26, 2002

This is my all-time favorite devils food chocolate cake. Inspired by Anne Byrn the Cake Mix Doctor I have become quite a fan of jazzing up cake mix. I have a host of decadent frostings for all my cakes, but let me entice you here to try this deep rich chocolate cake adorned with freshly squeezed orange cream cheese frosting. You’re going to love this super easy cake. This is definitely one of my personal favorites!

SERVES 12

Ingredients
a..
Cake
a.. vegetable shortening, for greasing the pans
b.. flour, for dusting the pans

c.. 1 (18 1/4 ounce) package pudding enhanced devil’s food cake mix
d.. 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
e.. 1 1/3 cups buttermilk
f.. 1/2 cup vegetable oil
g.. 3 large eggs
h.. 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Frosting
a.. 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, at room temperature

b.. 8 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
c.. 3 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
d.. 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
e.. 1 tablespoon grated orange zest

Directions
1..
PREHEAT oven to 350F; Generously grease two 9 inch round cake pans with solid vegetable shortening, then dust with flour, shake out the excess flour; Set aside.
2..
COMBINE the cake mix, cocoa powder, buttermilk, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl; Blend with an electric mixer until the batter is thick and smooth; Pour into prepared pans.
3..
BAKE the cake until it springs back when lightly pressed with your finger, approximately 35 minutes; Cool cakes in pans on wire rack for 30 minutes more and then slip both cakes out of the pans into your freezer; (Frozen cakes are much easier to frost.) Now you can prepare the frosting.
4..
COMBINE cream cheese and butter with your electric mixer on low speed until fluffy, stop the machine; Add the confectioners’ sugar; Continue to blend on low until the sugar is well combined; Add the orange juice and zest, Increase the speed and beat until frosting is light and fluffy; Use at once to frost cake.
5..
STORE frosted cake in fridge.

—
Virginia

________________________________________________________________________
6. Buttermilk Pound Cake Recipe
Posted by: “Ginny

Buttermilk Pound Cake Recipe

Photo by: Taste of Home

100% would make again

Now that I’ve retired from teaching, I have more time to bake. This cake is the one I make most often. It is a truly Southern recipe, and one I think can’t be topped - once people taste it, they won’t go back to their other recipes.

16-20 Servings
Prep: 10 min. Bake: 70 min. + cooling
Ingredients
a.. 1 cup butter
b.. 3 cups sugar
c.. 4 eggs
d.. 3 cups all-purpose flour
e.. 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
f.. 1 cup buttermilk
g.. 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
h.. Confectioners’ sugar, optional
Directions
a.. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine flour and baking soda; add alternately with the buttermilk and beat well. Stir in vanilla.
b.. Pour into a greased and floured 10-in. fluted tube pan. Bake at 325° for 70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 15 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. Dust with confectioners’ sugar if desired. Yield: 16-20 servings.

Nutrition Facts: 1 serving (1 slice) equals 285 calories, 10 g fat (6 g saturated fat), 68 mg cholesterol, 134 mg sodium, 45 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 4 g protein.

Buttermilk Pound Cake published in Country Extra November 1993, p49

from http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Buttermilk-Pound-Cake

***************

******

——————————————————————————————————— To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/RecipesLostandFound/

[This is almost a book and you should check it out, full of charts and information.

I do not know the site and was surprised to find part of the article in a group email, that does not post this type of article as a rule.

granny]

http://www.marketskeptics.com/2009/12/2010-food-crisis-for-dummies.html

Thursday, December 17, 2009
*****2010 Food Crisis for Dummies*****
by Eric deCarbonnel

If you read any economic, financial, or political analysis for 2010 that doesn’t mention the food shortage looming next year, throw it in the trash, as it is worthless. There is overwhelming, undeniable evidence that the world will run out of food next year. When this happens, the resulting triple digit food inflation will lead panicking central banks around the world to dump their foreign reserves to appreciate their currencies and lower the cost of food imports, causing the collapse of the dollar, the treasury market, derivative markets, and the global financial system. The US will experience economic disintegration.

The 2010 Food Crisis Means Financial Armageddon

Over the last two years, the world has faced a series of unprecedented financial crises: the collapse of the housing market, the freezing of the credit markets, the failure of Wall Street brokerage firms (Bear Stearns/Lehman Brothers), the failure of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, the failure of AIG, Iceland’s economic collapse, the bankruptcy of the major auto manufacturers (General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler), etc… In the face of all these challenges, the demise of the dollar, derivative markets, and the modern international system of credit has been repeatedly forecasted and feared. However, all these doomsday scenarios have so far been proved false, and, despite tremendous chaos and losses, the global financial system has held together.

The 2010 Food Crisis is different. It is THE CRISIS. The one that makes all doomsday scenarios come true. The government bailouts and central bank interventions, which have held the financial world together during the last two years, will be powerless to prevent the 2010 Food Crisis from bringing the global financial system to its knees.

Financial crisis will kick into high gear

So far the crisis has been driven by the slow and steady increase in defaults on mortgages and other loans. This is about to change. What will drive the financial crisis in 2010 will be panic about food supplies and the dollar’s plunging value. Things will start moving fast.

Dynamics Behind 2010 Food Crisis

continues.

NEW SECRET RECIPE

KFC Grilled Chicken Recipe

INGREDIENTS

Brine:
8 cups water
1/4 cup salt
1 tablespoon Accent Flavor Enhancer
1 small chicken, cut up into 8 pieces

Liquid Coating:
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 teaspoon liquid smoke
1/4 teaspoon soy sauce

Dry Rub Seasoning Mix:
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon chicken soup base
1/4 teaspoon beef soup base
1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram
1/4 teaspoon pepper, coarsely ground
1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
Pinch dried oregano
Pinch garlic powder

DIRECTIONS

1. Do ahead: Make the brine by combining all the brine ingredients
in a pot large enough to hold all the chicken pieces and the water.
Dissolve the salt and Accent in the water, then add the chicken
pieces, making sure they are covered. Refrigerate the pot for at
least 2 hours.

2. Do ahead: Combine all the dry rub ingredients and store in a
covered container until ready to use.

3. Do ahead: Combine all the ingredients for the liquid coating and
set aside.

4. Preheat the oven to 350*F.

5. Remove the chicken from the brine and pat dry - discard the brine.
Brush the liquid coating over both sides of each piece of chicken
and then sprinkle generously with the dry rub.

6. Heat a grill or grill pan, one with raised ridges, and cook each
chicken piece by laying it on the grill or pan just long enough to
make the distinctive grill marks. Transfer the chicken to a baking
sheet and bake in the oven until it is golden brown and cooked
through, at least 20 minutes on each side. The brining will ensure
that the chicken is moist and tender.

Secret Recipe Tip: The Accent can be substituted for another brand
of monosodium glutamate, which can usually be found where herbs and
spices are sold.

Food for Thought: You can omit the beef soup base, just increase
the total amount of chicken soup base to 1 teaspoon.

Serves 4 to 5

Enjoy!

Until Next Time... Be Well

Kind Regards,

Ron

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Posted by: “KittyHawk”

Cherry Mulberry Pie

5 cups sour cherries, washed and pitted (will measure more like 3 cups
after pitting, if you pit by hand)
7 cups of fresh mulberries, gently washed
3/4 cup sugar, or more to taste
1 1/2 cups water
6 Tbsp clear jel
1/2 cup water

Sugar for sprinkling, optional
Pie crust dough for 2 - 9 inch pies with tops

In a large stock pot, combine fruit, 3/4 cup sugar, and 1 1/2 cups of
water. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. You can also taste and
see if you want to add more sugar to your pies. We use 3/4 cup, which
seems just sweet enough to us, but you may prefer yours sweeter or less
sweet (also depends on how ripe your sour cherries were!).

In a small bowl, mix clear jel and 1/2 cup water with a fork, to remove
lumps.

When the fruit mixture starts to boil, stir in some (most) of the clear
jel mixture. The fruit will thicken into pie filling very quickly. If
the pie filling doesn’t look quite thick enough for your preference, add
all of the clear jel/water mixture, stirring as you add to prevent lumps.

As soon as filling is thick, remove from heat.

Pour filling evenly/equally into two unbaked 9 inch bottom pie crusts.
Place top crust over filling (be sure to poke a few holes in the top
crust so the steam can escape!) and seal edges with fingers dipped in water.

Sprinkle sugar over pie tops if desired. Bake pies at 400 degrees F. for
25 to 30 minutes or until crust is browned and cooked.

Serve warm with ice cream, or eat it cold, by itself.

Makes: 2 - 9 inch pies

To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FoodPreservationDryingCanningAndMore/

http://gardeningtosurvive.blogspot.com/

Do it Yourself Skills

Do-it-yourself skills are on their way out for many people, who prefer to have someone else do the dirty work. This has a direct effect on our collective ability to survive disasters.

A large part of survival is the ability to take charge of the situation and do what needs to be done in order to make it through another day. Often this is as simple as knowing how change the flat tire on a vehicle, or do some basic repairs to gear you are depending on. Like sharpening a survival knife, cleaning a rifle, or making a survival kit.

Every day we are losing touch with do it yourself skills, preferring instead to specialize completely into the one small thing from which we make a living. All that other stuff we can pay someone else to do.

When times are good your computer skills, or if you are flipping burgers your ability to churn ‘em out in numbers, may seem like the ticket to a good life. But should TSHTF you are going to find you cannot eat CD’s and your free fast food supply is nowhere to be found.

But it goes beyond that. Simply doing as many things as possible yourself – from plumbing to electrical to car repairs, gardening, and even fishing to putting some protein on the table – will give you a wide array of skill sets and problem solving skills no school can ever teach you.

When things go bad and a large scale survival situation occurs you are going to be in a much better position to survive if you are somewhat of a jack of all trades.

Emergency preparedness is usually pretty much a do it yourself skill if done right. Of course there are those who think all they have to do is pay for someone else to put together a survival kit or year’s supply of food, and they have got it made. Rest assured this way of thinking will serve them ill should they suddenly need this survival gear, possibly of dubious quality, without having the proper training and experience to use it.
Posted by Ron

[snipped]

But it is not enough to read survival books and visit online survival forums. You have to get out there and practice your survival skills and survival gear. Set up a lean-to, build a debris hut, build a fire, find water. Test your skills in a variety of conditions and with a variety of materials. Make sure you would be able to do these very same things while injured or when it is wet or cold or blazingly hot.

The more you learn about survival techniques the more you realize how much there is to learn. When faced with a large task it is often easier to break it down into bite sized chunks. Survival experts have found through experience that the foundation of survival rests on five basic survival skills. Master these 5 basic survival skills and you are well on your way to being an expert survivor yourself. I will post these 5 skills next.

So discuss, read, and practice. That is the way of becoming a survival expert.
Posted by Ron

Strawberries

Growing strawberries in your garden has to be one of the more rewarding gardening efforts, because there is just no comparison between store bought strawberries and those picked fresh from the garden. So let’s take a look at how to grow strawberries in your garden.

The traditional way to grow strawberries is to nurture them as perennials, that is you plant them one year and expect them to peak in later years. But some places in the South where the summers are quite hot it is not uncommon to grow them as an annual, and replant the following year.

Based on how you might want to grow them you can pick the one of the strawberry varieties that will work for you.

Where to Plant Strawberries

Strawberries are very versatile, and can be planted in a variety of ways. Many people will plant strawberries in containers. Hanging strawberry planters are a favorite, and let you grow strawberries on the balcony or a patio. For this its common to plant them as annuals so you don’t have to overwinter the container. Strawberries should not be planted where peppers, tomatoes, eggplant and potatoes have been grown since these plants can harbor verticillium wilt, a seriously bad disease for strawberries. If in doubt you may think of using the square foot gardening approach which uses a soilless mix in raised beds.

The most common way of growing strawberries is in a bed. Since they are most often grown as perennials, you want a location for the bed that is out of the way, as it will be mulched and scraggly looking for part of the year. You may want a raised garden bed as this will help control the week population, since in perennial beds you can’t just go in and till it up once a year. Like most garden vegetables or fruits, strawberries like full sun, at least six hours of sun a day.

Strawberries need at least one to two inches of rain a week, so if your climate won’t provide that factor in the need for irrigation like the proximity to a hose when choosing a location.

Soil Preparation

Drainage must be good (another advantage of a raised bed) and they do best in a sandy loamy soil. For any garden bed it’s good to prepare the soil with a healthy addition of organic matter like compost, but it’s particularly good for perennial plantings as they chance to work that in again could be several years away.

There are several popular approaches to creating a strawberry bed, which vary a little based on the varieties that you want to grow.

Matted Rows

Matted rows are good for June-bearing strawberries. The plants should be planted about eighteen to thirty inches apart in rows, with the rows being 3 to 4 feet apart. Daughter plants are allowed to spread and root freely. This should result in a matted row about 24 inches wide.

Spaced Rows

With spaced rows to goal is to limit the number of daughter plants spreading out from the mother plant. Once again the mother plants are set eighteen to thirty inches apart with rows spaced 3 to 4 feet apart. The daughter plants are spaced out so they root at least four inches apart. All other runners are cut from the mother plants. This is somewhat higher maintenance approach, but the payoff is in higher yields, larger strawberries and reduced disease problems.

Hills

Hills are recommended for growing everbearing and day-neutral strawberries. For this approach all runners are removed, leaving only the original strawberry plant, forcing the mother plant to develop more crowns and stalks for fruiting. Start by arranging multiple rows of two to four plants with a walkway between each group of rows about two feet wide. The plants are staggered about one foot apart in the rows. After the first two or three weeks of growth add mulch to the bed.

Planting Strawberries

Plant in the spring as soon as the soil can be worked. Plant the new plants where the crown is at soil level. The buds can be harmed by frost, so for new plantings you may want to wait til after the last frost.
Posted by Ron

http://gardeningtosurvive.blogspot.com/

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